


The Demon Within

by thewritierpen



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bondage, Castiel Without Angelic Grace (Supernatural), F/M, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Non-Consensual Touching, Sexual Assault, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24824053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewritierpen/pseuds/thewritierpen
Summary: A hunter named Sadie has been teaming up with the Winchester brothers.  A romance is beginning to bloom between her and Sam, but their progress is interrupted by an unfavorable encounter with a demon.
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Sadie

Sadie met Sam and Dean on a hunt about three months ago. They were going after the same vampire den. After an initial dispute and lack of trust, the three of them decided to work together, as it was quite a large family of vamps. There is safety in numbers, as the saying goes. Sadie, tall and fit, ended up saving Sam’s ass by taking out one of the vamps right before it bit him. Then Dean saved Sadie after she was tackled by another vamp. The three of them realized that they made a good team, so they decided to continue working together.

Sam and Dean invited the brunette young woman back to the bunker and let her stay with them there. They fell into an agreeable routine over the following weeks, hunting together regularly, and occasionally with Castiel. Together they had taken down another vamp den, a werewolf pack, a shapeshifter, a family of ghouls, and numerous ghosts. The combination of adrenaline-packed excitement and relaxed downtime over three months formed a strong bond between the three of them.

Lately, however, Sadie had been noticing a different type of bond growing between her and Sam. Being close to him made her heart flutter, and she felt her face flush whenever he touched her or gave her a compliment. That was nothing new - she had been attracted to him ever since the first day she met him. What was new now was that Sam seemed to be reciprocating these feelings. Sadie wasn’t 100% certain, but she was pretty sure. She sometimes noticed him gazing at her, and he would quickly avert his eyes when she met them with hers. She swore that he was finding excuses to touch her, too - a light touch against her arm when he was laughing at something she said, or a gentle graze against her shoulder when he was brushing past her in the kitchen. She even detected a hint of flirtiness in his voice occasionally when Dean wasn’t around. Neither Sadie nor Sam was obvious about it, so she really hoped she wasn't just imagining his reciprocation.

One weekend night, after a dinner consisting of pizza and numerous beers, Sadie found herself more than tipsy and, judging by Sam’s flushed face and slightly hooded eyes, he was in the same state as her. Dean seemed more sober than the two of them, and he announced that he was leaving to go to the bar and socialize with the local women. Sam rolled his eyes as Dean left.

“Want to watch a movie?” Sam asked Sadie.

“Sure,” Sadie replied, and they decided on a classic, campy horror flick.

They sat down on the couch together with their beers, and Sadie could have sworn that Sam sat just a little bit closer to her than he usually did. Not that she minded - not at all. An idea struck her, and she grabbed a blanket and threw it over the two of them, scooting a little closer to him under the guise of fitting under the blanket.

Sitting so close to Sam, Sadie could barely focus on the movie. They were lightly pressed up against each other from shoulder to thigh, and Sadie quite enjoyed the warmth of his skin against hers. Partway through the movie, Sam stretched his arms across the back of the couch, and Sadie smiled to herself. She took the opportunity to snuggle a bit closer onto Sam’s shoulder. His arm came down from the back of the couch and rested across her shoulders. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and she looked up at him with fondness in her eyes. Sam returned her gaze tenderly and began to slowly lean in towards her face. Sadie’s heart skipped a beat as she leaned towards him and met his lips.

The kiss was gentle and sweet. Sam’s hand came up to lightly cup her face, and Sadie brought her hand up to Sam’s head to run her fingers through his hair.

Soon enough, though, the kiss grew more heated. Sadie grabbed the back of Sam’s neck to pull him towards her, and he ran his hands up and down her back. He pulled her into his lap, and she kissed down his neck, drawing a hungry moan from his throat. Sam pulled away from her, and she could see the lust in his hooded eyes. He pushed her down onto her back on the couch cushions, climbing on top of her and giving her neck the same attention she had given his. She moaned breathily and threw her arms around the back of his neck. He pulled one of her legs up around his hip, and she could feel his hardness through the layers of fabric separating them. She moaned loudly as he thrust against the entrance to her core.

At that moment, the door opened and Dean entered the bunker.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Dean exclaimed, astounded. Sadie gasped, and she and Sam jerked apart and sat up rapidly, immediately separating as far apart as possible on the couch. Blushing furiously, Sadie couldn’t meet either man’s eye.

“Um, uh, I’m sorry, Dean,” she stammered, not sure of what else to say.

She was so embarrassed that Dean had walked in on them in such a state. But she was also frustrated because she really, really wanted to keep going down the path she and Sam were on. Dean’s surprise appearance had ruined their momentum, and now she was worried that they might not be able to get it back. Was Sam only acting in drunken lust? Would he want to continue this when they were sober? She wondered what he was thinking right now, as he didn’t say anything.

The silence stretched out uncomfortably. She was surprised that neither of the men, usually so quick to quip, could seem to think of anything to say. Unable to endure the awkwardness anymore, she abruptly stood up.

“Okay, um, I’m going to bed,” she said shakily. “Goodnight.”

She quickly scurried to her bedroom.

Sadie flopped onto her bed with her face in her hands. She was mortified and frustrated and disappointed and somehow still aroused. She had no idea how she was going to face Sam and Dean again after that. Maybe she could just stay in her bedroom forever and never come out again. Of course, she knew that wasn’t realistic. She wondered if she should try to talk to Sam, but she was just too embarrassed to bring herself to do so. She decided that she would deal with the awkwardness tomorrow. It was getting late anyway.

Sadie changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She decided to skip brushing her teeth tonight because she didn’t want to risk running into either of them on her way to the bathroom.

As she lay there in the dark, trying to calm her spinning thoughts, she couldn’t help but remember the feel of Sam’s arms around her, his mouth on her lips and neck, his manhood pressing against her core. She tucked her hand under her waistband and quietly touched herself to completion, thinking of nothing but Sam.


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

Sadie awoke suddenly to a loud bang, followed by a clatter and loud voices. Alarmed, she jumped out of bed and ran to the main room. She gasped when she saw Castiel covered in blood, lying on the floor. Sam and Dean were kneeling on the ground next to him, shouting his name and shaking him gently in an attempt to wake him up. All thoughts of the recent awkwardness were forgotten in their concern for Cas.

“What happened?!” she exclaimed to Sam and Dean, running over to kneel down next to them. She peered anxiously at Cas. He was covered in bruises and slash wounds, bleeding profusely.

“We don't know,” Sam responded. “He just burst in here like this and collapsed to the ground.”

“Who- what could possibly have done this to an angel?” Sadie asked, horrified.

Cas groaned and began to stir.

“Oh, thank god!” Sadie whispered, breathing a sigh of relief that Cas was alive.

“Cas!” Dean exclaimed, grabbing his arm. “What happened to you, man? Who did this to you? How can we help you?”

“Human…” Cas muttered weakly.

“A human did this to you?” Sam asked incredulously. “Is that even possible?”

“No…” Cas said softly. “I’m… human…”

“What?!” the three of them exclaimed in unison.

“Cas, what does that mean?” Dean exclaimed. “You’re an angel! You’ve been turned human?”

“Stole… my grace…” Cas whispered.

“Oh, god,” Sam said. “I didn’t even know that was possible. Okay, well, if Cas is human, then we need to do first aid like we would for any regular human.”

Sadie was already running for the first aid kit.

Sadie, Sam, and Dean worked together to clean and dress Cas’ wounds, sewing up the worst of them. They carried Cas to a spare bedroom and set him on the bed, bringing him water and medicine.

It seemed to help. Cas’ voice grew stronger and he became more coherent, finally able to tell them what had happened to him.

Cas explained that one of the archangels had ambushed him and stolen his grace, leaving him human and defenseless, with no resources. It took Cas quite a while to make his way to the bunker with no money or transportation. When he was almost there, he was suddenly attacked.

“It was a demon,” Cas explained. “He recognized me and could see that I was without my grace. He said he had always wanted to ‘beat the shit out of a motherfucking angel’ and this was a ‘rare opportunity.’”

Sam and Dean looked at each other, and Dean grabbed Cas’ water glass to refill it from the pitcher they had left on the dresser. Sadie saw Dean pull out a small bottle of holy water and tip some into the water glass. She realized that Cas wouldn’t be able to see this, due to the angle and Sam’s body blocking his view. Although the bunker was demon-proofed, they all knew that it never hurts to double-check. Dean handed the glass to Cas, and the three of them sighed in relief when Cas sipped the water with no adverse effects.

“Okay, so Cas hasn’t been possessed — thank god,” Dean said. “Which means that the demon is still out there. Cas, where were you when he attacked you?”

“I was five blocks away, in the alleyway by the convenience store,” Cas responded. “I think he came out of that big brick warehouse. The vessel was a young man, caucasian, with brown hair. He was really tall, even taller than Sam.”

“Okay, Cas, you stay here and rest,” Dean said. “The three of us are going demon hunting.”


	3. The Hunt

Sadie followed Sam and Dean into the old warehouse. They walked as quietly as possible. Sadie carried the demon-killing knife, while Sam and Dean each carried an angel blade. Dean had the angel cuffs. The three of them each carried holy water and salt, as well; and they were all protected from possession by their warding tattoos. Sadie had gotten one of the ingenious tattoos on her rib cage soon after she joined up with the boys. As soon as they were in the door, they all smelled it.

“Sulphur,” Dean whispered, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Looks like we’re in the right place.”

The building was huge, with many different rooms and levels, so the plan was to spread out and cover adjacent rooms, meeting up again after every set of three. This would ensure that they were no more than a couple rooms away from each other at all times, so that they could back each other up quickly when the demon was found.

The three hunters nodded to each other and spread out. Sadie went left, Dean went right, and Sam took the middle.

Sadie felt a thrill of fear and anticipation when she went through the doorway alone, holding her knife defensively. She was used to hunting by herself, and she felt safe knowing that the boys weren’t far away; but she could never prevent that adrenaline rush at the beginning of a hunt. Even if she could, though, she wouldn’t want to. She knew that it sharpened her senses and kept her hyper-alert.

Sadie cleared her first two rooms and was on her third when she thought she heard a muffled thump. It was difficult to tell, but she was pretty sure it came from a distance to her right — the direction of the boys. She was supposed to meet back up with the boys in the middle after this room anyway, so she went through the next door she found on the right. The boys weren’t there, so she went through a few more rooms looking for them in vain.

Sadie heard another thump from somewhere to her right, but this time it sounded louder. She dashed through the next right-facing door to find Sam kneeling over Dean’s limp body, both of them bruised and bleeding.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed, running over to them. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m alright,” Sam said, “but Dean got knocked out. The demon took us by surprise. I don’t know where it went.”

“Shit,” Sadie said breathlessly, looking them over. “You both look terrible.”

Dean was unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. Sam had bruises on his face and arms, and he was bleeding from several slashes on his arms and one on his chest.

“I need you to keep watch while I look over your and Dean’s wounds,” she instructed Sam. He nodded, surveying the room’s entrances.

Sadie gently touched Sam’s chest next to the bloody wound, planning to pull the fabric of his shirt away and inspect it. But Sam grabbed her hand.

“It’s not deep,” he said. “Take care of Dean first.”

Sadie nodded and moved over to Dean, gently moving his hair out of the way to see the wound on his head. The blood was already starting to slow and clot, which was a good sign. She hoped that this would be nothing more than a moderate concussion.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp burst of pain on her head, and everything went black.


	4. The Demon

Sadie awoke groggily to a throbbing pain in her head. She groaned and tried to bring her hands up to her head. A jolt of panic went through her when she realized that she couldn’t move her arms. Her eyes flew open and she looked around the room in alarm, wincing when the motion made her head feel worse.

Sadie was sitting propped up against a support beam, her arms tied around the beam behind her. She could see Dean, tied to another support beam the same way, but still unconscious. She noticed that both her and Dean’s weapons were missing, including the holy water and salt. She didn’t see Sam, and she wondered whether he was restrained somewhere else or he had managed to get away. She hoped it was the latter and that he would burst in soon to rescue them.

Sadie struggled against her restraints, trying to pull her hands free from the ropes, but they wouldn’t budge.

“It’s no use,” she heard a familiar voice say from behind her.

Sadie whipped her head around, straining her neck to see Sam. She expected to see him tied up, but to her surprise, he was unrestrained. He stepped out of a shadow and walked in front of her.

“Sam!” she exclaimed. “Untie me! Let’s get out of here.”

But rather than reaching for her bonds, Sam simply chuckled. It was dark and humorless, and it didn’t sound anything like him. Sadie felt a chill go down her spine.

“No,” she whispered, her stomach dropping.

“Yes,” Sam said with a twisted smile, his eyes turning black.

“No!” Sadie exclaimed, her fear confirmed. “But- but the tattoo!”

“Oh, this tattoo?” Sam — or, more accurately, the demon who was possessing Sam — said casually, pulling his shirt down. Sadie gasped when she saw the bloody gash that split Sam’s tattoo.

“Oh, god! Sam,” Sadie pled, “I know you’re in there! Please, try to fight it! I know you can fight it!”

“Shut up,” the demon said cooly. “Sam’s not in the driver’s seat right now. I am.”

“And- and you are?” Sadie asked hesitantly. She hoped that she might be able to keep the demon talking until Dean woke up. She didn’t know what would happen after that, but at least they could work together if Dean was awake. Maybe Cas would come looking for them or send help eventually.

“My name is Belial,” the demon said with a smug smile. “I have been watching the Winchesters for quite some time now, planning my attack. The appearance of that grace-less angel Castiel was a gift from Hell itself. I had so much fun with him, and he was just the bait. I am going to make the Winchesters pay a thousandfold for what they have done to my kind. So many of my friends and colleagues lost because of them.”

Belial crouched down in front of Sadie and grabbed her chin roughly. She tried to pull her face away but his grip was too strong.

“Now it is the Winchesters’ turn to watch their friends and colleagues suffer,” he spat.

Sadie’s breathing picked up as she was overcome with a wave of terror.

“You seem to be both a friend and colleague to the Winchesters,” Belial said, “In fact, this must be my lucky day, because you seem to be even more than a friend to Sammy here. I can feel how your presence… affects him. I know what went on between the two of you last night,” he added with a smirk.

Sadie glanced over to Dean, but he was still unconscious. Belial pulled her chin back to face him again.

“I’m going to give Sammy his greatest desire,” Belial said menacingly. “You.”

He kissed Sadie on the neck and she let out a sob. He drew back from her.

“But first,” he said, “we need to make sure that our audience is watching.”

Belial walked over to Dean’s unconscious form and slapped him across the face. Sadie winced at the sound of it. The pain seemed to jolt Dean into consciousness. His head came up and his eyes flew open.

“Sammy?” he asked groggily, groaning at the pain in his head.

“Dean,” Sadie called sharply. “That’s not Sam.”

Dean glanced over to Sadie, his eyes full of concern. He saw that she was tied up and he seemed to realize then that he was, as well. He began struggling against his bonds, to no avail.

“Shit,” Dean muttered.

“That’s right, Dean,” Belial said with a dark smile, his eyes turning black again. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ve got you right where I want you. I’ve been hunting you. I am looking forward to making you and your brother suffer for what you have done to my kind. You have hurt many of my friends. Now it’s time that I hurt one of yours.”

Belial gripped Dean’s chin roughly. “Enjoy the show,” he said, and he turned away from Dean and walked back over to Sadie.

While Belial was talking to Dean, Sadie had been struggling against her bonds and looking around for anything she could use as a tool or weapon, but she had no success. She noticed that all of their weapons were either in Belial’s pockets or hanging from his belt. She had no way to defend herself when Belial crouched down in front of her and began unbuttoning her shirt. Sadie tried to kick him, but he just grabbed her legs and then sat on them to keep them still.

“Don’t you touch her, you son of a bitch!” Dean shouted, struggling wildly against the ropes. “Get your fucking hands off her!”

Tears were streaming down Sadie’s face now. “Please,” she begged, “Sam, I know you’re in there! Please don’t let this happen!”

Belial opened up Sadie’s shirt, revealing her black bra underneath. He cupped her breasts roughly over the bra, and she let out a sob.

“Wow, she’s got quite a rack on her, huh?” Belial said to Dean, who responded with a loud, “Fuck you!”

Belial reached behind Sadie and unclipped the strap. He yanked the bra down so that her breasts were exposed. Sadie was terrified and mortified. She didn’t want Dean to see her like this. Belial pinched Sadie’s nipples, hard, and she cried out in pain.

“Stop!” Dean yelled. “Let go of her!”

Sadie couldn’t bring herself to look at Dean.

“I can see why Sammy likes you,” Belial said to Sadie, tauntingly. “You’re hot.”

Belial grabbed Sadie’s hair with one hand, yanking her head back to give him access to her neck. Sadie cried out at the pain. Belial began planting wet, open-mouthed kisses along Sadie’s neck, jaw, and lips, sucking and biting her occasionally, just hard enough to hurt without breaking the skin. He continued to squeeze and pinch her breasts and nipples painfully with his free hand.

“I’m the one you want!” Dean yelled. “Hurt me, instead! Leave her out of this!”

Belial ignored Dean and moved his hands to Sadie’s hips. She felt panic rising in her as he undid her belt and her jeans. He pulled her shoes off of her feet, and then he began sliding her jeans down her thighs. He had to get off of her legs to fully remove them. As soon as her legs were free, Sadie began kicking at Belial with all her might. She didn’t want to hurt Sam, but this was the one and only thing she could do to defend herself.

Sadie got in one good kick to his jaw before he grabbed her legs with a bruising grip and sat on them once again. She struggled, but he was too heavy and she didn’t have any leverage from her position. She sobbed as he grabbed her underwear with both hands and ripped it off of her.

“Please don’t do this!” she pled between sobs, tears streaming down her face. “Please! Please stop!”

“Shut up, you annoying bitch,” Belial grunted, grabbing Sadie’s throat and squeezing until she could no longer breathe.

Sadie’s mouth opened and closed, trying to take in air but unable to do so. Her body thrashed in an attempt to get away from him.

“You fucking coward!” Dean shouted at Belial, trying another tactic. “Choking her when she’s tied up! I bet you’re too fucking scared to face us without restraining us first! You little bitch!”

Belial rolled his eyes, but he released his hold on Sadie’s throat. She coughed and gasped for air, her face red and tear-stained.

“Oh, please,” Belial said to Dean dismissively. “We both know demons are far stronger than humans. It’s just so fun to see you completely helpless.”

Belial turned back to Sadie, who was still trying to catch her breath. He kissed her on the mouth again and she tried to bite his lip, but he pulled away too quickly. He grabbed her face with a crushing grip, forcing her jaw open, and kissed her more. Then he pulled away and took off his shirt.

Sam’s chest and abs were one of Sadie’s favorite parts of his body. Normally she would feel her face heat up with desire when she saw him shirtless. Right now, though, Sam’s body didn’t even belong to him; it belonged to a monster, and it was covered in bruises and cuts and blood. Right now Sadie felt nothing but revulsion looking at Sam’s naked torso.

Her revulsion only grew when Belial undid his belt and jeans. She cried as he pulled his jeans and boxers partway down his thighs, freeing his hard — and enormous — cock.

She had wanted to be intimate with Sam for so long. She had fantasized about his nude body, his cock, how it would feel when he touched her breasts, her pussy. But this was not how she wanted it to happen. This demon had turned her greatest desire into her worst nightmare.

Sadie sobbed as Belial gripped her legs, holding them too tight for her to kick. He forced her legs over his shoulders and moved his hips toward hers. His cock hovered right outside her entrance, but he didn’t make contact yet. He seemed to want to draw out the moment, letting Sadie’s panic and terror build up. He kissed her and groped her breasts while she squeezed her eyes shut, wailing.

Suddenly, it all stopped. Sadie gasped in relief as she no longer felt Sam’s body on top of hers. She opened her eyes to see Dean on top of Belial on the floor, holding the demon blade to his throat. He must have grabbed it from Belial’s belt when he tackled him. Belial laughed.

“What are you going to do, Dean?” he taunted. “Kill your brother?”

“If that’s what it takes to stop you, then yes,” Dean threatened. Sadie knew it was an empty threat, and from the way Belial laughed, it seemed he knew it, too.

Seemingly paying no heed to the knife, he sat up. Dean moved the knife back to keep it at Belial’s throat without cutting him.

“See?” Belial said dismissively. “You’ll never hurt your brother. There’s nothing you can do to stop me, Dean.”

Belial stood up and turned toward where Sadie sat, restrained to the support beam. As he started walking toward her, Dean slashed at Belial’s back with the demon blade, not deep enough to kill, but enough to hurt. Belial cried out in pain and clutched at his back with both hands.

Dean took the opportunity to snap the angel cuffs onto Belial’s wrists, rendering him powerless, and then pushed him onto the floor.

Belial cursed at Dean as he walked behind Sadie and gently sliced the ropes that were binding her wrists.

“Thank you,” Sadie whispered to Dean, not meeting his eye. While he turned back to Belial, Sadie fixed her bra and shirt and pulled on her jeans and shoes. Then she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a scrap of paper.  
Dean held Belial down while Sadie read the Latin exorcism incantations aloud. Belial thrashed and screamed and cursed and threatened them, but he was powerless.

When Sadie finished the recitation, she and Dean said, in unison, “Fuck you!” And then Belial left Sam’s body in a cloud of descending black smoke.

Sadie was incredibly relieved, but she was also very concerned when she saw that Sam wasn’t moving. She rushed to his side and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was alive, but unconscious.

“Sadie,” Dean said hesitantly, turning to her. “I’m so sor-”

“It’s not your fault, Dean,” Sadie interrupted. “You don’t need to apologize. You saved me, and I am eternally grateful.”

“I wish I could have done it sooner,” Dean grunted.

“How did you even get free?” Sadie asked curiously.

“There was a nail slightly sticking out of the floor behind me,” Dean explained. “It took forever, but I managed to pull it out and use it to cut through the rope.”

“Wow,” Sadie breathed. “That was incredibly lucky.”“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “This was a close one. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you are, too,” Sadie said, giving Dean a hug.

They both turned back toward Sam.

“I hope he’ll be okay, too,” said Sadie.

Together, she and Dean managed to lift the giant man and carry him the few blocks back to the bunker.


	5. Afterward

Sadie and Dean tended to Sam’s wounds while he remained unconscious, sewing up the larger gashes on his arms and chest, along with the one Dean gave him on his back. When they had done all they could for him, they left him to rest and went to check on Castiel in the guest room. They told Cas what had happened — leaving out the details of the specific type of torture Belial used on Sadie. They checked on Cas’ wounds and changed his bandages. It seemed that he was healing well.

Dean stayed to chat with Cas for a bit and Sadie went back in to sit next to Sam, holding his hand. She finally had a moment alone to contemplate what had happened to her. While she was relieved that it had not gotten to the point of actual penetration, it had still been so scary and horrifying. She was traumatized; her brain could barely comprehend what had happened.

She wondered what this would mean for her and Sam. Her feelings for him were still there, but every time she looked at him, all she could see was him assaulting her. She knew that it wasn’t actually Sam who had done it to her, but it was still his body, and that wasn’t something her mind could forget. She wondered if he was awake during the possession. She hoped not. She didn’t know how that would affect things between them. She hoped that with enough time, things could get back to normal between them.

Sadie heard Sam stirring next to her. She squeezed his hand and saw him open his eyes. He looked at her and his face crumpled.

“Sadie,” Sam said, with an anguished expression. “I am so sorry! I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I can’t believe I did that to you! I couldn’t- I couldn’t make him stop. I’m so sorry! I tried! I-”

The words were rushing out of him all at once, and there were tears in his eyes, threatening to overflow.

“It wasn’t your fault, Sam,” Sadie said, cutting him off. “You didn’t do anything to me. That demon did.”

“I know,” Sam said, “but it was still my body that did it to you. That son of a bitch made me watch and feel everything he was doing, so it felt like I was doing it, too. I am so sorry. I can’t apologize enough. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Sadie responded. “Again, it was not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself. That demon hurt you, too. Are you okay?”

“I’ll be alright,” Sam said with a wave of his hand. “You always amaze me with how compassionate and understanding you are.”

He had fondness in his eyes and he reached up to cup her cheek.

But some instinct came over Sadie and she jerked her head away before he could touch her, dropping his other hand. She didn’t do it on purpose, but her subconscious mind remembered him as a threat and acted accordingly.

Sam dropped his outstretched hand with anguished eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have done that. That was so stupid of me.”

“No, it’s okay,” Sadie responded just as quickly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

They sat together in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, both of them wondering how they would move forward after this.

“Listen, Sam,” Sadie said hesitantly, “I really like you and I really enjoyed where things were going last night. I think I’d like to get back to that at some point. But after what happened today… I just… I think I’m going to need some time. Again, this is not your fault! I just… I just need time.”

“I really like you, too,” Sam responded quietly. “I completely understand. I think time would be good for me, too.”

Sadie gave Sam a small smile and tentatively took his hand again. This time the silence was more comfortable.


End file.
